The Mythology & Folklore Database
One day the hedgehog said to him, "I want to drive our sow out into the woods and tend her."
The old man replied, "What! You can do that? You hardly do anything here!"
However, the hedgehog did drive the sow into the woods and tended her there for three years without returning home. The sow had piglets, and the piglets in turn had more piglets until finally there was a great herd of pigs.
Once an officer came into the woods hunting, and he lost his way. Seeing the pigs, he wanted to know where the swineherd was.
He saw the hedgehog lying under a fir tree and asked him, "Where is the swineherd who is looking after these pigs?"
The hedgehog answered, "I am the swineherd for these pigs."
"Where must I go to get out of these woods?"
"If you will give me your daughter, I will lead you out of the woods."
"Show me the way, and you can have my daughter," said the officer, and the hedgehog led him out of the woods and then returned to his pigs.
Another time a prince came into the woods while hunting, and he too lost his way. He saw the pigs and wanted to find the swineherd.
Seeing the hedgehog, who again was lying under the fir tree, he asked, "Where is the swineherd who is tending these pigs?"
"I am the swineherd for these pigs," answered the hedgehog.
The prince asked, "Can you show me the way out of these woods?"
He answered, "If you will give me your daughter then I will lead you out of the woods."
"Good," said the prince. "I will give you my daughter if only you will lead me out of the woods.
The hedgehog led him out of the woods, then let him continue on his way by himself.
The next day the king himself came into the woods hunting, and he too -- like the officer and the prince -- lost his way. He saw the pigs and wanted to find the swineherd.
Seeing the hedgehog lying beneath the fir tree, he asked, "Could you show me the way out of these woods?"
"I can do that," answered the hedgehog, "If you will give me your daughter."
The king said, "Good, you can have her. Just lead me out of these woods."
So the hedgehog led him out of the woods and then returned to his pigs.
Soon afterward he drove the pigs home, and the old man saw how large the herd had become. The stall, into which they wanted to drive them, was not nearly large enough, so they had to drive them into another stall. The old man was pleased that the hedgehog had brought so many pigs back to him.
Now the hedgehog said to the old man, "Feed the rooster there. I want to ride to my girl."
The old man did this, and the hedgehog rode on the rooster to the officer.
He said to him, "Well, now give me your daughter."
The officer asked him, "What do you need for a dowry?"
"A team of horses, a coach, and the coach must be filled with gold."
The officer put the gold into the coach, the horses were harnessed, and they set the girl on top of the gold. And thus the hedgehog drove off with her.
Underway he said his girl, "You can return to your father if you want to, or you can come with me."
The girl said, "I'd sooner go back home to my father," and she went back home to him.
But the hedgehog drove to his own house with his gold.
The next day the hedgehog rode on his rooster to the prince. And the same thing happened with the second bride as with the first one. On the third day he rode to the third bride.
Approaching the king, he said, "Well, now give me your daughter for my wife."
The king gave him everything that he demanded. This time the hedgehog did not ask the king's daughter if she wanted to return to her father, but instead took her to his home where they were married.
The old man then purchased a noble estate with many fields, and with many horses and oxen. He hired maids and farmhands, and had all the fields cultivated. From now on he lived like a lord.
The hedgehog and the king's daughter stayed with the old man, and they lived together happily and royally for many years, and then they died.